IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The University of Iowa plans to lay off a former top athletic department administrator who is suing the school after her earlier reassignment to a job unrelated to sports. Court documents filed Wednesday show the university has informed Jane Meyer that her job as a project manager will be eliminated effective Sept. 9.

Meyer’s attorney, Jill Zwagerman, is seeking to block the termination from taking effect and says the move is further retaliation for Meyer’s complaints about wage discrimination and gender bias in the department.

Athletic director Gary Barta reassigned Meyer in December 2014. He said the move was necessary because Meyer’s partner, former women’s field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum, was planning to sue over her own firing. Meyer alleges she was paid far less than her male replacement.

The Big 12 Conference preseason football team selected by media that cover the league was announced on Wednesday.  The honorees include 9 seniors, 11 juniors, and 11 sophomores.  The only holdover from last year’s preseason team was Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine.  This year’s squad includes two Iowa State Cyclones, both on the offensive side of the ball in running back Mike Warren and Wide Receiver Allen Lazard.

2016 Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team

A tie in voting at DL created two additional spots.
^ – 2015 Preseason Team
# – 2015 All-Big 12 First Team selection
* – 2015 All-Big 12 Second Team selection

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior linebacker Josey Jewell has been named to the 2016 Butkus Award Watch List, the Butkus Foundation announced Tuesday. The Butkus Award is presented annually to the nation’s best linebacker.

Jewell (6-foot-2, 230-pounds) started all 14 games at middle linebacker last season, anchoring a Hawkeye defense that allowed 11 rushing touchdowns, the seventh lowest total in the country, and yielded an average of 121.4 rushing yards per game, ranking 15th nationally.  Jewell led Iowa with 126 total tackles, including 62 solo stops and three sacks.  His four interceptions ranked second on the team, while his 7.5 tackles for loss tied for second best.

Following last year’s breakout season, Jewell garnered second team All-Big Ten honors by league coaches and media, the Associated Press, and Phil Steele.  The Decorah, Iowa, native has garnered preseason third team All-America and second team All-Big Ten recognition by Athlon Sports. Jewell was named to the Bronko Nagurski Watch List — presented to the best defensive player in college football — earlier this month.

The collegiate Butkus Award Watch List includes candidates from 44 universities, including 10 student-athletes from Big Ten institutions. Semifinalists will be named Oct. 31, finalists Nov. 21, and winners will be notified on or before Dec. 6.

Former Hawkeye Larry Station was a finalist for the Butkus Award in 1985, while Chad Greenway was a semifinalist in 2005.

Jewell joins teammates Desmond King (Jim Thorpe Award) and Jaleel Johnson (Outland Trophy) as Hawkeyes recently named to award watch lists.

Iowa opens the 2016 season at home on Sept. 3, hosting Miami, Ohio inside Kinnick Stadium.

From hawkeyesports.com

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State junior Allen Lazard has been named to the 2016 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List.  The award is given annually to the outstanding reciever in the nation.

Established in 1994, the Biletnikoff Award is named after Fred Biletnikoff, who is a member of both the pro and college football halls of fame. He was an All-America receiver at Florida State and an All-Pro for the Oakland Raiders.

Lazard enters his junior season primed to enter Iowa State’s career top-10 in virtually every wide receiver statistical category.

The Urbandale, Iowa, native was a Second Team All-Big 12 recipient by the Associated Press in 2015 after leading the Cyclones in receptions (56), receiving yards (808) and TD catches (6). Lazard ranked fifth in the Big 12 and 59^th nationally in receptions per game at 5.1. His 56 catches tied for the seventh-best season total in ISU history.

Lazard posted two 100-yard receiving games in 2015, including a career-high 147 yards vs. TCU. He’s caught a pass in all 23 career games, sharing the school record for most consecutive games with a reception.

Lazard joins running back Mike Warren (Maxwell Award) and punter Colin Downing (Ray Guy Award) as Cyclones on preseason watch lists.

From cyclones.com

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

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Class 1A:

District 1

Ar-We-Va, Westside 11 vs Boyer Valley 1 (5 innings)
Lawton-Bronson 12 vs Woodbine 2 (5 innings)
West Harrison 6 vs Westwood 5
West Monona 5 vs Logan-Magnolia 2

District 14

Bedford 8 vs Murray 2
Lenox 2 vs East Union, Afton 1
Nodaway Valley 12 vs Lamoni 2
Orient-Macksburg 6 vs Mount Ayr 5

District 15

Audubon 7 vs Guthrie Center 1
CAM, Anita 4 vs IKM-Manning 1
Coon Rapids-Bayard 10 vs Adair-Casey 0 (5 innings)
EHK-Exira 7 vs Glidden-Ralston 2

District 16

Griswold 10 vs Fremont-Mills, Tabor 5
Nishnabotna 5 vs Stanton 0
St. Albert, Council Bluffs 12 vs Sidney 2 (5 innings)
Tri-Center, Neola 10 vs East Mills 0 (5 innings)

CLASS 2A:

District 12

Earlham 7 vs Clarke, Osceola 1
Van Meter 10 vs West Central Valley, Stuart 2

District 15

Clarinda 4 vs Shenandoah 1
Treynor 3 vs Underwood 2

District 16

Kuemper Catholic, Carroll 5 vs East Sac County 3
Missouri Valley 14 vs OA-BCIG 1 (5 innings)

Class 1A

Region 7:  (Completion of game suspended Monday evening): Charter Oak/Ute 15, Exira/EHK 2 (Charter Oak/Ute [25-12] will play Martensdale/St. Mary’s [32-6] in the State Softball Tournament Quarterfinals, 3:30-p.m. Mon., July 18th)

Class 3A

Region 1: (Postponed from Monday) Boyden Hull/Rock Valley 4, Sergeant Bluff-Luton 0

Class 4A

Region 1: Bishop Heelan 2, ADM 0 (Bishop Heelan [26-10] plays Boone [26-9] in the 4A Qtr finals 3:30-p.m. Tue., 7/19)
Region 2: Boone 2, Waverly-Shell Rock 0
Region 3: Charles City 7, West Deleware 0
Region 4: Fairfield 3, Keokuk 2
Region 5: Oskaloosa 6, Mount Pleasant 0
Region 6: Carlisle 10, Cedar Rapids Xavier 2
Region 7: Perry 3, Dallas Center-Grimes 0
Region 8: Creston 3, Glenwood 2 (Creston [24-11] takes on Fairfield [27-11], 5:30-p.m. Tue., 7/19 during the State Tournament Qtr Finals)

Class 5A

Region 1: Fort Dodge 10, Sioux City East 0
Region 2: Johnston 2, Southeast Polk 1
Region 3: Cedar Rapids Prairie 2, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1
Region 4: Pleasant Valley 4, Bettendorf 1 (10 innings)
Region 5: Davenport West 5, Iowa City West 3
Region 6: Urbandale 5, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 4 (10 innings)
Region 7: Indianola 4, Ankeny 1
Region 8: WDM Valley 8, Dowling Catholic 1

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez made sure the Kansas City Royals will start at home, sweet, home if they get a chance to defend their World Series title. The Royals duo homered off former Kansas City teammate Johnny Cueto during a six-pitch span in the second inning, Hosmer added an RBI single and the American League beat the Nationals 4-2 Tuesday night for their fourth straight win in the All-Star game.

David Ortiz found himself in the middle of the most touching moment at Petco Park, embraced by his AL teammates near first base after exiting his final All-Star Game. The popular Big Papi plans to retire at 40 after this season with Boston.

Kris Bryant of the Cubs led the parade of sparkling young talent with a first-inning home run. Dellin Betances flashed his 100 mph heat and Astros reliever Will Harris came on to throw a called third strike past Cardinals rookie Aledmys Diaz on a 3-2 pitch on the outside corner with the bases loaded to end the eighth.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The family of a Missouri man fatally beaten in 2013 outside of Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is suing the NFL franchise. The Kansas City Star reports the wrongful-death lawsuit was filed Monday in Jackson County on behalf of Kyle Van Winkle’s widow and his son, who was just weeks old when Van Winkle died.

Seeking unspecified damages, the lawsuit blames a lack of adequate security in the parking lot at the time Van Winkle was beaten during an altercation. The law firm behind the lawsuit says the lawsuit’s goal is to make Arrowhead safer for fans. The Chiefs have declined to comment.  Joshua Bradley of Independence has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Van Winkle’s death and is serving five years of probation.

Swimming, canoeing and floating the river on tubes is a summertime tradition in Iowa. But as relaxing and enjoyable as a river float is, it does come with an element of risk.
Iowa rivers are dynamic systems in a constant state of change and can hide obstacles just beneath the water surface. Todd Robertson, with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Water Trails Program, said river users can enjoy the scenery while keeping an eye downstream to avoid any hazardous surprises.

“We’ve had some reports of trees being blown over during the recent storms and blocking parts of different rivers. We would encourage paddlers and tubers to watch for fallen trees and other hazards that can pull you in and suck you under the water,” he said.  “This is the busy season for floating our rivers. When we have consistent hot weather, there is an increase in the number of paddlers and tubers and we want everyone to be mindful that our rivers are in a constant state of change.”

• Robertson said there are a few tips to keep you safe on the river.
  Wear your life jacket: Life jackets, when properly fastened and cinched, have saved lives. Life jackets are mandatory for any child under 13 in any vessel underway in the state of Iowa.
• Know the weather forecast: Always get off the water if lightening is in the area.
• Recognize and avoid hazards: Most water incidents involve an obstruction – downed trees and branches create a “strainer” effect that can trap boats and people under water, sometimes leading to drowning. A bridge pier or boulder can get a boat pinned on its upstream side. Low-head dams can re-circulate, trap and drown victims. These hazards are most difficult to avoid at mid to high range flows.
• Consider your experience: Novice paddlers and tubers generally have less control as rivers get swifter, and should factor in more caution.
• Beat the heat: Dehydration, heat exhaustion stroke, and heat exhaustion can become serious problems in by mid-summer. Bring plenty of water on river trips, cool off periodically by getting yourself wet or swimming, use sunscreen, and for tubing or paddling trips make sure to choose shorter trips when the river’s flow is low.
• Set the example for your kids: Be vigilant with kids in rivers, make sure they wear their life jackets before getting in the water, and explain to them the other safety points on this list.
• Watch your kids: Even with a life jacket, be aware of common river hazards, and keep a watchful eye on kids in a river at all times, to help them avoid hazards such as woody debris and other objects, or low-head dams.
• Other factors: You can improve your odds by not consuming alcohol, considering weather factors, and being vigilant about what’s around the next bend.